Illegal Immigrant Not Held Against Will, Deputies Say

The Nation - In Brief

April 8, 2005

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Authorities determined Thursday that three volunteers involved in a civilian project to watch the border and report illegal crossers did not hold an illegal immigrant against his will. The Mexican man told deputy sheriffs he was detained and forced to pose for a picture holding a T-shirt that read: "Bryan Barton caught an illegal alien and all I got was this T-shirt." Barton was one of the three volunteers. "The county attorney's office reviewed all available evidence; that indicates that there was no forcible detention, therefore the case is not substantiated . . .," said Carol Capas, a spokeswoman for the Cochise County Sheriff's Department.